Ice cream selling was a profitable job in the 1950s, but the number of ice cream van operators has reduced nowadays. Now there is almost a quarter of that number. The reason to reduce the number is the seasonal and sunny trade and the change of the market. Now there are huge numbers of supermarket chains where people can trade.
A survey was conducted to know how much money do ice cream trucks make per day on average? The results of the survey were surprising. Many of the vendors do not want you to know how much money they make through their ice cream truck? Each vendor operated the truck without any location. According to the survey, the average income of an ice cream truck is $200 to $300 per day in the summertime. It means that if you spend 20 days a month, you can make $5000 on average.
- Average daily income: $200 – $300
- Average monthly income: $5000
- Average monthly income – Expenses: $2500
If you want to start an ice cream business, how much does the ice cream truck cost? Let’s dive deeper into it.
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Ice cream truck cost
On average, an ice cream truck costs nearly $10,000 (a used truck with some wear and tear and high mileage) to as much as $100,000. The price depends on whether you buy a used or brand new luxurious truck. The cost also depends on the brand of the truck you are going to purchase.
Most used trucks with high mileage cost around the range of $10K to $25K. On the contrary, if someone buys a brand new truck with lower mileage, the price can go up to $100K.
The cost of buying a truck, just like buying a car, depends on the type, brand, model, and condition. If you buy a used ice cream truck that already has a freezer installed on it, it will save a lot of money. But if you have extra cash, then go to buy a new one.
Operating Expenses
There are other expenses as well after buying a truck that are operating expenses like truck maintenance, gasoline, equipment maintenance, and many more. Once you set your route, you can easily calculate these expenses. However, the initial expenses are described below.
Gas
On average, the truck requires two-time gas refilling per week. However, it is variable depending upon your route and how far you go to sell ice cream. On average, the national gas price is about $3 to $5 per gallon.
It depends on the gas price as well. As long as the price will remain low, it will be great for the ice cream truck industry. However, you also need to remember that if the prices go higher, it will cut your profit.
Freezer
The price of the freezer that needs to be placed inside the truck will cost around $200 to more than $1500. The price will vary according to the size of the freezer and from where you are buying.
Insurance
When you start a business, you need to have insurance in case of any damage in the future. The insurance price depends on the area you are living in, the vehicle you are using, and your personal driving history. $500 to $1000 is a good amount for annual insurance. However, you must keep that in mind, and the more costly your vehicle is, the higher cost of insurance you will be charged.
Permits and licenses
Starting an ice cream business is not easy because you have to take multiple permissions and licenses. First, you have to apply for a local standard business license and permit from your town/city/state. You need to check for local food departments and local officials to get a full list of compulsory permits and licenses for the ice cream truck business.
Here is the list of some licenses and permits that you surely need to operate your business.
- Health Inspection business: You can apply for this health inspection permit by contacting your local health department.
- Business License: contact your area municipality for ice cream truck requirements.
- Driver’s License: You can get your driver’s license by visiting your nearest local motor vehicle department and ask for requirements to operate an ice cream truck.
- Food handler certificate
- Fire certificate
- Proof of ownership, Proper identification, and vehicle license
- Food purchase record storage and record-keeping
- Proof of District issued food manager identification card
These permits and licenses will cost around $100 to $1000. It depends on your residential area. Some large cities have a higher cost as compared to small cities.
Inventory
You need regular refilling of cones, popsicles, and ice cream sandwiches in this business. For this, you must keep some stock in hand, which you can use instantly in case you run out of any of the items. At the start, the stock of $500 to $600 will be enough for most of the ice cream vendors and can be increased or decreased on a need basis.
The benefit of this business is less wastage. Less waste means saving money. As long as you keep these products cold, they will remain of good quality, and you can use them the next day. It is not like the vegetable and fruits that will rot in the next 2 or 3 days.
Labor
The most beneficial thing about this business is that it usually needs a single person to operate the van. If you are the one who is going to operate this truck, then there will be no labor cost, and you can save this money.
If you want to start it as a side business and hire labor to operate the truck, you need to pay that person’s average of $15 per hour. It means that if the person spends 8 hours on the truck, you need to pay $120 per day.
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An extra cost to consider?
The above-described costs are the necessary cost that you need to pay to have an ice cream truck. The other extra expenses include painting the truck. An old color and design can be replaced with new eye-catchy designs and color schemes to attract customers, especially children. Depending on the size, design, and vehicle, the costs will be $1000 to $3000. It can be higher in some cases and some areas.
